Race track planned for B.C.

Villeneuve set to design academy

Former Indy 500 champ and Canadian racer Jacques Villeneuve is looking to open a motorsports complex in Oliver.

The motorsports training facility tentatively will be built on Osoyoos Indian Band land near here, a story by Keith Lacey in the Osoyoos Times said.

Villeneuve, who is the only Canadian to ever win the Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship, has signed to be the track designer for the Area 27 and South Okanagan Motorsports Corporation.

Villeneuve is one of three drivers in history to win the Indy 500, Formula One World Championship and the CART Indycar title. The two others were Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti.

Villeneuve and his business partners announced Sept. 1 a “letter of intent” had been signed to build an executive driving academy, training centre and racetrack facility on the tribal land.

Villeneuve, who lives in Europe, will design the track and make occasional promotional appearances.

The organizers initially are selling 200 “club memberships at $35,000 each to start development of the facility that could cost upwards of $12 million.

A further goal is 300 memberships in the next year or two.

Here are some interesting high school football statistics provided by David Maley of Rosalia, who tracks all of the state’s teams.

Last season, Bellevue tied and broke the big-school record for most consecutive games won when they beat Ferndale 28-0 (State 3A first round) and Peninsula 40-3 (State 3A quarterfinal), respectively, Maley said.

“After Saturday’s win against Skyline, the winning streak is at 41,” he said.

Former 4A/3A record-holder for most consecutive games won was 3A Curtis at 37 games. The streak ran from Sept. 11, 1970 to Nov. 2, 1973 when Curtis lost, 17-0, to Stanwood in the state 3A quarterfinals.

There are three more records that Bellevue could tie or break this season: